San Francisco SRO Hotel Manager’S Guide
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San Francisco SRO Hotel Manager’s Guide This operational guide is intended to provide basic hotel operations information for managers of small, privately operated SRO Hotels. It is the responsibility of operators and owners to establish their own operating procedures in compliance with current regulations. Table of Contents 01 About SRO Hotels 01 02 Manager Responsibilities 03 03 Emergencies and Safety 04 Emergency Contact Sheet 04 Building Operations and Maintenance Interior Basic Operations Lobby 05 Hotel Log 06 Occupancy Rental Packer 07 Occupant Agreement (Sample) 08 House Rules 09 Sample Room Condition Checklist 12 Acceptable Forms of Identification 13 Security 14 Visitor Policy 15 Basic Maintenance Electric 16 Heat 16 Janitorial 16 Pest Control 17 Exterior Professional Appearance 18 Security Cameras & Lighting 20 Assistance from Community Benefit Districts if available 22 ABOUT SRO HOTELS 01 SRO stands for “Single Room Occupancy” or “Single Resident Occupancy”. A typical SRO room usually consists of a bed, dresser, and sink and is intended for occupancy by one person. Some slightly larger SRO units can accommodate couples. The smaller size and limited amenities in SROs generally makes them a more affordable housing option, especially in urban areas with high land values. Some SRO hotels serve as supportive housing and offer on-site personal counseling and rehabilitation services- but not all do. SROs can also have different classifications of rooms including “residential rooms” and “tourist rooms.” Thus, SRO hotels typically house a diverse population of dwellers, long and short term, including: men, women, (sometimes pets), children, teenagers, seniors, and sometimes tourists. Occupants are diverse in almost every regard including: age, race, ethnicity, interests, expectations, levels of personal accountability, income and overall well-being. To effectively manage an SRO one must consider multiple aspects. SRO’s with a high percentage of long-term residents will function more like a typical apartment building. Hotels with shorter term occupants may function more like a traditional hotel or hostel. Hotels that have occupants such as senior citizens receiving regular, in-home health care, might also consider aspects of operating a medical facility. Medical staff will be coming and going from the building and higher levels of cleanliness and handicapped accessibility will be required. To further add to the complexities of an SRO, SRO buildings can often be located in dense, inner-city areas prone to issues of crime, violence and predatory behavior. Occupant and staff safety will likely be more difficult to maintain. This document provides baseline information to help SRO Managers be more effective at their job improving safety, security and quality of life for hotel occupants, staff and neighbors. SAN FRANCISCO SRO HOTEL MANAGER’S GUIDE 2014 1 ABOUT SRO HOTELS 01 Understanding The Limits Of An SRO Due to the above-mentioned differences with regular housing it is important to make sure occupants are capable of independent living. If an occupant needs assistance with independent living skills make sure they have a social worker to assist them while they are staying in your hotel Getting to know the various social workers and service providers who come to your building is helpful. They can help resolve issues with tenants; and help tenants communicate better with you. If you find occupants who you suspect suffer from physical or mental health issues and have no social worker or case management services, you can explain the situation to one of the case managers you do know and ask for their assistance to get the occupant connected to services. • Promptly dealing with any behavioral problems resulting from an occupant’s mental health issues in an appropriate manner will benefit the individual and help alleviate the impact on others in the building. • If your Hotel does not have its own on-site social service Case Management keep a list of the various City and non-profit agencies that deal with mental health and addiction issues for your reference. • Make sure Case Management workers coming into the building are legitimate, sign in and out, and show valid identification. SAN FRANCISCO SRO HOTEL MANAGER’S GUIDE 2014 2 MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES 02 • Screen all visitors and be aware of all people entering and exiting the building • Meet with prospective occupants to show units and explain terms of occupancy • Interview prospective occupants and review hotel rules and regulations • Check that prospective occupants are not on an 86’d list or a former occupant in bad standing • Enforce rental agreement, hotel rules, visitor policies and procedures • Answer phone, take messages and record incidents • Coordinate all aspects of an occupants’ stay including check-in, check-out, the lobby, mail, and special needs. *May include working with social service agencies regarding intake • Establish a working relationship with case managers and other social service providers connected to occupants placed in your hotel • Perform day-to-day activities such as monitoring occupancy, lobby behavior, preparing reports, enforcing policies and procedures, and providing support • Collection of rent sometimes working with 3rd party payees • Handle and secure cash, make deposits • Investigate complaints, disturbances and violations and resolve problems • Perform all check-out processes such as verifying the resident took all their personal property and turned in the keys • Inspect grounds, facilities and equipment routinely to determine necessity of repairs or maintenance • Plan, schedule, and coordinate general maintenance and repairs • Coordinate monthly staff/occupant meetings • Purchase building and maintenance supplies, equipment and furniture • Prepare and administer contracts for provision of property services such as cleaning, maintenance and security services. • Respond to emergencies • Remain calm in stressful situations Partial List of Examples *To avoid conflicts of interest and awkward situations, Tips for Success • Be alert at all times • Accommodate special needs while • Be familiar with procedures and able to maintaining professional boundaries and explain and enforce rules without hesitation safety practices • Be consistent in your enforcement of rules • Be organized, informative and provide and regulations frequent updates SAN FRANCISCO SRO HOTEL MANAGER’S GUIDE 2014 3 EMERGENCIES AND SAFETY 03 Emergency Contact Sheet For Life Threatening Emergencies Call: 911 Name of Contact Number General Manager Assistant Manager Handyman Hotel Owner Cab Company Cab Company Fire Department Police Department 6th Street SAFETY Hub Fire Hospital Hospital Shelter Shelter Shelter Mobile Assistance Patrol/CATS SF Hot (Homeless Outreach Team) Animal Control Coroner Free Exterior Cleaning Services NOM-Tenderloin CBD (See Map) Central Market CBD (See Map) Civic Center CMD (See Map) SAN FRANCISCO SRO HOTEL MANAGER’S GUIDE 2014 4 BUILDING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE 04 Lobby The design of a good lobby or front desk is critical to maintaining control of your building. Preferably the person sitting at the front desk is situated directly facing the front door, so they have clear site of the entry and anyone entering. Most hotels have a locked front door and a buzzer-system that allows the staff to admit people in a convenient but also safe way. If the person managing the front door cannot see people wanting to enter the building from their office or reception area, it is desirable to have a video camera system focused on the entryway. More secure hotels have a second locked door or gate that separates the public entrance from the hotel’s common areas. The entrance to any office areas should also lock. This allows for a separation of the office from the rest of the lobby; while enabling staff to deal with occupants and hand out things like toilet paper or mail. Because you keep extra keys, hotel records and often cash behind the front desk, this needs to be a restricted area. In general, access behind the desk should be kept to as few people as possible and occupants should not be allowed behind the front desk, unless accompanied by a staff person. A desk should ideally be at eye level with occupants and visitors. SAN FRANCISCO SRO HOTEL MANAGER’S GUIDE 2014 5 BUILDING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE 04 Hotel Logs Every front desk should always have a log to record incidents and occurrences in the building as well as visitors. Primarily any instances of occupant or visitor non-compliance with house rules need to documented, with date and time and the most detailed account of what happened possible. *All logbook entries should include: date, time, location, activity and names of parties involved and the initials of the person making the entry. Other things that could be included are times the police come to the building (try to get a badge number) or anytime any “official” activity takes place that involves non-occupants entering the building. This includes visits by the paramedics, parole and/or probation officers, cable company technicians, food pantry distribution staff, and pest control companies, etc. Entering things like gossip and non-events should be avoided. During shift changes, oncoming staff should note their arrival time and any pertinent information obtained while making building rounds. *Electronic logs are very helpful for archiving and ease of researching and looking up old data; but, paper logs may be the most user-friendly as not everyone can operate a computer. (Remember to use paper logs with pages that cannot be torn out or lost.) Sample Log Entries Employee Date Time Location Activity and Parties Involved Initials Mr. Oliver was taken to SF General by ambulance for the 2nd time this Feb 16 2 am Room 34 MK week. Lorna Smith (Rm 34) had fist fight in lobby with her visitor (boyfriend). Officer Barret Feb 20 9:30am Lobby Badge 3346 from Tenderloin station responded. Ms. Smith signed warning letter now in SL the incident report file and her boyfriend’s name is on the 86’d list. Door to roof propped open.